How to Prepare for Lent with Mary.
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Today, on the birthday of St. Bartolo Longo, we pause with gratitude—and renewed resolve.
Known throughout the Church as the Apostle of the Rosary, Bartolo Longo’s life is one of the most powerful testimonies to what God can do through a soul that simply says yes to Our Lady.
From Darkness to the Light of the Rosary
Bartolo Longo did not begin as a saint. In his early years, he wandered far from God, entangled in spiritual confusion and despair. Yet it was Mary, through the humble prayer of the Rosary, who gently drew him back.
One sentence changed his life forever: “Whoever spreads the Rosary is saved.” Those words became his mission.
Converted by grace and anchored in Marian devotion, Bartolo dedicated the rest of his life to reviving faith through the Rosary, especially among the poor, the forgotten, and the spiritually weary. Through his tireless efforts, the Shrine of Our Lady of the Rosary in Pompeii rose from ruins—both physically and spiritually—becoming a beacon of hope for the world.
Why St. Bartolo Longo Matters Today
Bartolo Longo understood something we desperately need to remember:
The Rosary is not a devotion of the past—it is a weapon for the present.
It is simple enough for the poor, yet powerful enough to confront darkness.
It transforms not only hearts, but families, communities, and cultures.
In times of confusion, division, and quiet despair, the Rosary restores order—within the soul first, and then in the world.
Our Call: To Be Modern Apostles of the Rosary
St. Bartolo Longo did not keep the Rosary to himself. He organized his life around it. He built rhythms, communities, and works of mercy rooted in daily prayer with Mary.
That same call echoes today.
To pray the Rosary faithfully.
To live it intentionally.
To allow it to shape our days, decisions, and desires.
This is why we hold him as our patron saint—because this work is not about programs or perfection, but about beginning again with Mary, one bead at a time.
A Marian Invitation This Lent: Begin Again
As we honor St. Bartolo Longo on his birthday, we invite you to step into that same legacy through Begin Again: A Marian Lenten Challenge.
This Lent, you are invited to:
You don’t need to have it all together. Neither did Bartolo Longo. You simply need to begin.
St. Bartolo Longo, Apostle of the Rosary,
teach us to trust in the quiet power of prayer.
Help us to spread the Rosary with humility and love,
and to build our lives upon its grace.
Pray for us, that we may begin again—with Mary.
Join us this Lent and step into the mission St. Bartolo Longo lived so boldly. Become an apostle of the Rosary—right where you are.
The Rosary Rule of Life is a bold faith-and-fitness movement for Catholic women who are ready to transform their bodies, minds, and souls through the power of prayer and discipline. Rooted in the rhythm of the Rosary, it calls women to embrace holiness, health, and self-mastery — one Hail Mary, one healthy choice at a time. This is more than a diet — it’s a spiritual revolution that unites faith and fitness, courage and community, as women grow stronger in Christ and in themselves.
